Demon, page 8
As soon as I opened the door that led to the examining rooms the nurse motioned me inside the nearest room. Her smile never wavered, as she closed the door behind us.
"Test results show that you're not pregnant."
Oh, thank God. I wondered if she thought that she was delivering bad news. I returned her smile. "Thank you."
That news drowned out the anger I’d felt about hearing where Demon was going. Suddenly all was good. For now. With pep in my step I returned to Holly.
"Good news?"
"The best."
She glanced down at her vibrating phone.
"Is that LD?"
Holly chuckled. "I guess LD's calls are more important than mine if Demon answered him so quickly."
She didn't make any attempt to answer her phone. "You're not going to answer it?"
"Nope. Is it my fault that my battery suddenly died? Besides, now they know you'll be staying with me, and I'll just tell Joker he's on protection duty."
"You mean ‘guard duty,’" I corrected, walking with Holly toward the door.
"Whatever," she laughed.
"Why do I have a feeling we're going to be in big trouble?" I didn't expect a response.
"It'll blow over." There was her confidence again. "I've learned that the big, bad men of Desert Rebels are big, ol’ softies when it comes to their women."
"Yeah, but I'm not one of their old ladies, Holly. Demon thinks I'm in cahoots with the enemy." We were walking toward her car, which was parked next to the SUV Joker had driven. He was sitting behind the wheel, smoking a cigarette and blowing smoke out the window. When he saw us coming he dropped his cigarette and started the engine.
"I'm going with Holly," I said, opening her passenger side door. "Change of plans."
His brows rose like the twin arches on the McDonald's sign. "No one informed me of any changes."
"I called LD," Holly said over the roof of her car. "He's waiting to hear from Demon, so until then Bobbie is staying with me. You're to hang around and make sure she doesn't go anywhere else."
Until that moment, it hadn’t occurred to either of us that all Joker would have to do to foil our plan was call LD. The twin arches of his brows lowered to a frown, and I knew that any second now Joker was going to have the same revelation. Everything Holly had told him was the truth, even if she had omitted the fact that she'd ignored LD's return call. And there was always the possibility that Demon had agreed to let me stay with Holly. It was highly unlikely, though. Would Joker take us at face value? He was young, but that didn't mean he was a fool.
"Let me call LD," Joker said.
"You go ahead and do that. We're going to my place."
With the speed at which she was moving, I felt the urgency to slip into the passenger side and close my door. As Holly started the car I glanced up at Joker to see that he'd discarded his attempt to make a call and was turning the ignition to start up the SUV. At the same time, the tinted window went up.
Holly giggled.
"We are so going to be in trouble," I said. "Demon's going to think I influenced you."
"Those men need to get over trying to control everyone and everything. I only put up with it from Sax because he's my man." She shot me a wink. "Besides, I like being dominated by him." She took a breath. "When we get to my apartment I'll call the other old ladies. Maybe they can come over and hang out tonight."
"Holly, not everyone is like you. Remember they knew me as a club girl and treated me as such."
She gave me a look of surprise.
"Not saying they were mean or anything, but they kept their distance from all of us."
"Some of us are not as accepting about why the girls are there. We trust our men, but knowing that they're around beautiful, half-naked women who are eager to fuck them, and often try, is hard to take. The old ladies like Lulu. She's decent, and at least she sticks to the single men. Cherry and Mitzi . . . "Holly shrugged, as if she could take them or leave them."And we all know what a skank Tamara is. No one but the man-whores in the MC like her. Right now she and Junior have something serious going on."
"Her MO," I snickered. Tamara had always been obvious in what she wanted, and that was to become an old lady. It wasn't unusual for her to set her sights on one specific man and do everything within her power to get him to claim her. After a while, when it didn't happen, she'd move on to the next. The men were on to her, though, and none of them wanted a club whore for an old lady. They didn't want a woman who'd slept around with all their brothers.
I glanced out the window, recalling all the times that I'd seen Demon going off with one woman after another. It had hurt then and thinking about it now hurt. As much as I'd wanted him to, he'd never taken my hand or demanded that I get my ass to his room. He'd never grabbed me and kissed me, or fondled me as he had the others. I'd tried to tell myself that I didn’t care, but the day before I'd left the club for good the sight of him fucking Cherry against the bar had broken me.
His gaze had been pinned on me the whole time, the smirk on his face gutting me as he plowed his big dick into her from behind. I'd watched, accepting his silent challenge. And then I'd packed my meager belongings the next day and left.
"You got quiet," Holly observed after a few minutes of silence.
"Just thinking." Before she could ask me what I was thinking about, I turned and glanced behind us. "Joker following us?" Even as I asked, I saw the black SUV directly behind us.
"Yep. Maybe he'll forget to call LD."
"I really don't care if he does." The thought of Demon fucking someone at Crystal's Palace pissed me off. "Joker can't force me to go back if we lock his ass outside." Our light laughter filled her small car. "If Demon is going to kill me, I'm going to have at least one fun-filled night."
Holly's gasp, and the shocked look on her face, caused me to laugh it off as if I were unconcerned. "Joking," I lied.
"Desert Rebels don't hurt women, honey."
I wanted to inform her that she was so wrong. "There's different ways of hurting someone. It doesn't always have to be physical."
She snorted, but didn't say anything.
The apartment she and Sax shared was in a nice area. I'd seen it earlier when Sax had brought us there to get his bike. The units were built up along the side of a hill, surrounded by lots of trees, flowering bushes, and fences for privacy. Holly pulled up to a keypad, punched in a code, and the beautiful ornate iron gate opened up to let us through. Joker remained close to our bumper so that he wasn't left behind. Holly drove around to the other side and parked.
"How long have you and Sax lived here?" I opened my door when she turned off the car.
"Sax was already living here when we got together," she explained, closing her door at the same time that I shut mine. "It was a typical bachelor's pad when I moved in, but I've managed to add some feminine touches to it. It actually looks like a couple lives here now."
"Hey, wait up!"
We both paused and glanced back at Joker, who had parked next to Holly's car and rolled down his window. He was looking down at his phone. "I'm calling LD now."
"Look, prospect--"
It was either her tone, or the fact that she'd reminded Joker of who he was that captured his attention, causing him to stop and look at her with a frown between his eyes.
"Go ahead and make your call. We’ll be in my apartment if you need us." As she was turning she gave me a look that said that we'd better hurry up.
Joker wasn't happy with us, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. A minute later we were safely locked inside of Holly's apartment, and she was calling the other old ladies. I sat down in a chair, wondering how Demon was going to react.
But then I remembered where he was.
I hoped that finding out I'd defied him ruined his happy ending.
Chapter 10
Demon
I'd just park my bike at Crystal's Palace when I got a text from LD. I sat back on my seat and read it, swearing out loud when I read the words; bobbie decided to stay with holly til Sax returns. I was sure that there was more to it than that, but I'd deal with it later. I shot off a quick, got it, before putting my phone away.
Crystal's Palace was located a couple of miles outside of Vegas on a parcel of land that was big enough for expansion. The huge house had been designed to resemble the house in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, apart from the pink and white paint job. Tastefully done, yet it stood out like a sore thumb. Like a beacon in the night, clients looking for it couldn't miss it.
Despite the fact that it was early, there were vehicles parked outside of the house. Sex could be had any time of the day or night, seven days a week, though the girls did get two days off a week. I'd been coming here on and off for years, and thank fuck that I had, or I may never have found out about Annabelle. I'd nearly had a fucking heart attack the day I'd walked through the door to discover my baby sister had become the newest prostitute in town.
The way that I'd discovered her had caused me to nearly destroy the fucking place. A sadistic client had tied her to the bed and tortured her before leaving her for dead. She'd been found late the next morning, gagged, bruised, and bloodied, and the word “whore” had been carved into her lower belly. No one had seen the client leave. The security feed had shown someone wearing a fucking disguise leaving in a car that I'd later found out was a rental. Of course the guy had used a fake ID and paid with cash.
That had been a few months ago. I'd been a regular since then, and not for the sex. I'd dropped a few grand to the madam who ran the place, Chantelle, so she would permit Annabelle to remain in the house while she recuperated. I'd paid a doctor in advance to make regular house calls to see her, and to keep her mouth shut about it. The doctor had been reluctant in the beginning, until I'd told her that the fuck who was responsible for Annabelle’s injuries was still out there and might return if he found out that Annabelle was still alive.
I hadn't told my brothers. This was personal and had nothing to do with the club, but I knew that I'd have to tell them soon, because I was going to bring Annabelle back with me when she was ready. She wasn't going to like it, especially since I was going to take control of her life, but until she started making good decisions, that was how it was going to be. No sister of mine was going to whore herself out.
The front door of the house opened and my brows lifted when I saw the doctor step out. She was a small woman in her early fifties, dressed in a conservative suite and carrying a small bag. Why had Chantelle called for her? My first thought was that Annabelle had hurt herself trying to leave. I brought my leg over my seat and met the doctor halfway across the yard.
"Dr. Chesy, surprised to see you here. Annabelle okay?"
Her smile seemed genuine. "She's okay. I gave her a mild sedative and she's resting now.
I nodded. "Got a call saying she tried to leave."
She exhaled loudly. "Yes. Chantelle told me Annabelle had apparently woken from a nightmare this morning and insisted on leaving. She was convinced her attacker was coming back for her."
I clenched my teeth, not used to the feeling of helplessness that overcame me. Fuck, I was the president of a powerful MC, but I hadn't protected my sister. Hadn't even known that she'd left Las Vegas. As soon as she was good, and no longer the fragile shell she'd become, I was going to ask a lot of fucking questions, and then I was going to hunt down the bastard who'd ruined her.
"I'm taking her home with me."
Dr. Chesy looked concerned, reaching out and placing a timid hand on my arm. "Not yet, Demon. Her body has healed, most of the scars will fade in time, but she has far deeper ones on the inside. The fact that she's still plagued with nightmares of her attack is proof."
Christ, she was right.
"I think my work here is done. What she needs now is someone to talk to, someone who can heal her mind." She opened her bag and reached for a business card. "I left a card with Chantelle as well. Call Dr. Roberts, she's a psychiatrist and top of her field."
I nodded with grim acceptance and took the business card she held out to me. "Thanks for all your help, Doc. If I owe you anything else—"
She laughed. "No, we're good. Just be patient and understanding with Annabelle."
I watched her walk to her BMW before turning and continuing to the front door. I stepped into the foyer, the bell over the door ringing the alert that someone had entered the building. Off to the right was a room used for initial meetings. To the left was a small reception area where the clients selected their services and paid. Chantelle was house madam and took care of the business side of things, but she was nowhere in sight. I knew that would change in a minute, because she was very good at her job.
"Demon!" She breezed into the room, her eyes meeting mine. "You just missed Dr. Chesy."
"I saw her. What the fuck happened?" I got right to the point.
The gruffness of my voice didn't affect Chantelle. "Come into the kitchen with me for some coffee." She didn't give me a choice and I followed her wordlessly.
Chantelle was a natural-born beauty, and at sixty she was still a desirable woman. She'd been at Crystal's Palace from the beginning, though not always as a madam. Always classy, her platinum hair was cut in a sleek bob that lined up with her delicate jaw. Her makeup emphasized her beauty, and the subtle cloud of her expensive perfume was an aphrodisiac in itself. I was sure gravity had taken a toll in some areas, but you couldn't tell it from the form-fitting clothing she was rocking.
We entered the kitchen, where two women were sitting at the table, picking at a plate of fruit and drinking some sort of green shake. Both glanced up, and their expressions perked up right away when they saw me. I couldn't overlook their sexy, near-naked states. Huge tits were right there, nothing but a sheer wrap of some kind covering them. One even sat up straighter, thrusting those fake babies out at me.
"Shoo, shoo, girls!" Chantelle said, gesturing them out of the room.
With sounds of protest and pouts shot my way, they got to their feet. "We'll be out there if you need us for anything before you leave." With a promise in her eyes, the blond winked at me.
I winked back before giving my attention to Chantelle. She poured two cups of coffee and turned to bring them to the table as I sank down into one of the delicate chairs. "On the house."
"The coffee or the pussy?" I smirked, reaching for a cup.
Her laugh was low and sultry. "The coffee," she clarified, sitting down. "Although now that Desert Rebels owns the place, you do get a discount on the pussy."
"Not here for that," I laughed. "Now tell me what the fuck happened."
"The poor girl wakes screaming from a nightmare every night."
This was something that I already knew.
"Usually we can calm her down and she goes back to sleep. But this time was different." She took a sip of coffee. "She was convinced her attacker was back and he was here for her. She said that she woke up to a man bending over her."
I narrowed my eyes.
Chantelle shook her head. "We searched the place and found no one, but she was so worked up that nothing we said or did calmed her down. She tried to leave. I had to have Toby restrain her—"
"Toby touched her?" I snarled. Toby was one of two live-in security men who patrolled the premises and protected the ladies.
She lifted her hands, aware of my strict orders that no men were to go near my sister. "What was I to do? I was afraid she was going to hurt herself. She was out of control, and I couldn't handle her alone. I called Dr. Chesy right after I called you."
I sat back in the chair with a heavy sigh. It was clear that Annabelle had a long way to go before it would be safe to take her to my club. I couldn't have her surrounded by brothers, men she didn't know, or waking the place up with her screams every night. She needed help, the kind of help that I couldn't give her, and it frustrated the hell out of me. The doc was right--she needed to see a professional. I thought about the business card in my pocket.
Chantelle's smile was sympathetic, kindness in her blue eyes. "She's resting now. Probably best to leave her alone. Why don't you take Ruby and Fawn up on their invitation and kill a few hours while you wait for her to wake?"
Her offer was tempting. My mind went immediately to Bobbie, and the case of blue balls I'd had since she’d left, which were worse now that she was back. Her leaving the club had taken temptation away, as well as my reasons for fucking the whores at the clubhouse. I'd no longer had to use them as a buffer to keep from going after Bobbie. I was a fucking fool for dragging her ass back to the clubhouse, and now she was fucking with me, defying me. She knew I wasn't playing games.
"Yes?" Chantelle asked.
"No, thanks." I reached for my cup and took a drink. "The room next to hers still available?"
"We keep it empty in case you need it."
"I don't want to head back until I see her. I'll be up in the room. Have some calls to make." I got to my feet.
"I'll have one of the girls bring you some lunch."
"Sounds good." I left the kitchen and headed toward the stairs, taking them two at a time.
Annabelle's room was at the far end of the hall, and I couldn't help pushing in the door and looking in on her. My baby sister was fifteen years younger than me, the product of my mother's second marriage. Everything about her looks were the opposite of mine. She was tiny, while I was a beast. She was light, while I was dark. Beautiful like our mother. Why the fuck she'd come here to prostitute herself out was beyond my comprehension, not with all the money I'd sent for her to get a college education. To make something of herself. I'd have to wait until she was well enough to talk to get the answers to those questions.
Right now she was closed off, and that was fine with me. She needed to heal first.
Anger filled me all over again when I tried to imagine who could have done this to her. I was going to find the bastard, but it was hard when I had nowhere to begin, no tips, no hunches. Crystal's Palace had strict rules and safety processes in place before any man was allowed to go upstairs with a girl, but no one seemed to recall anyone out of the ordinary being in the house that day, and they hadn't recognized the man on the security feed. That led me to think that the fucker had worn two disguises that day--one when he’d arrived, and one when he’d left.
